The Emergency Room (Finished)

The Emergency Room

It was white and sterile all the things you would expect of a hospital. My head was spinning as I gently sat down on the hospital gurney changing into those horrible hospital gowns. It was not my first time in the ER but the things I heard that day shocked me. Laying down on my bed all of a sudden the screeching sound of an alarm went off and feet pounded against the floor headed for the closest emergency exit, convienently placed three sections down from me, only adding to the ringing in my ears. The alarm was soon shut down and a few minutes later I found the reason of the skull-splitting noise.

"He wanted a cigarette." A nurse said to another, "do you have one?"

The second nurse replies, "A cigarette? Really? Here?"

Figures, I just had to be stuck with some lunatic. Soon after the nurses left I heard,

"Excuse me?"

"Excuse me can I have some water? "

"Excuse me?

"May I have some water please?"

The voice is slurred and distorted so it seemed quite obvious that this person was under the influence of alcohol. At least he is polite.

The doctor seems irritated as he speaks with him telling him he will get his cup water soon and that they were very busy. The doctor's tone was slightly diconcerting. Weren't doctors supposed to be kind and respectful towards their patients? They must not have much patience for the inebriated. The man quites down again and all is silent giving my throbbing head a rest from the noise.

About ten minutes later an elderly patient of about 60 years of age comes shuffling through the door. They situated him one section away from me. You see I thought it was going to be normal and quiet just another patient entering the emergency room, I was quite wrong.

He was apparently suicidal...

"Oh so you're on suicide watch. Haha got to make sure the old man doesn't kill himself." This was one of the very first things that reached my ears from this man, the second was, "I overdosed on blood pressure medication because nobody cares." Obviously someone cares if an ambulance was called. Mixed in between is the first guy.

"Hello?"

"Excuse me?"

"No one cares about the fifty year old man."

"Excuse me? Can I have some water?"

"Haha the man can't even take care of himself. He's a joke. That's what they all say."

The growing racket in the once quit sector of the emergency room started to make my head throb. I layed there in my hospital bed sipping my water slightly and wondering how hard did I hit my head? Yep the only reason I was in that madhouse was for a concussion. It turns out I must have been placed in the sector for old people because in comes another old man. He isn't loud and obnoxious like the others, he seemed to be reserved and quie, other than the nurses discussing amputating his leg, a thing that I was very thankful for.

I layed there for a few more moments until a nurse came in with a wheelchair. Since Ihad decided to give the floor a hug it was mandatory that I be wheeled around, completely and utterly powerless. THe nurse layed a blanket down on the seat of the chair and motioned for me to sit down. I sat down and made myself comfortable as she went to both sides pulling out the two foot rests. We went down a winding hallway and through to sets of doors before finally reaching our destination.

The room we entered was dark and nothing short of freezing. There was a machine in the middle of the room which was most likely how they would do a CAT scan. The whole room gave off a creepy vibe. I've always hated these. The nurse told me to lay down on the seemingly evil contraption and once I was settled I started to move into the machine. Ah shit, Ah shit, Ah shit, I'm going to die this f'ing unstable machine is going to bring me to my untimely doom. The whiring noises kept up while low range and high range beeps were added to it.

Finally the noises stopped and the nurse came back around to help me out and back into my wheelchair. We started down the winding hallways heading back to that crowded room. I am completely dreading going back in there...

We soon enter the privacy of my little alcove and the nurse says they will have the results in a minute. I lay there and soon enough I hear...

"ma'am can I have a cigarette?"

"Ma'am?"

Then the other guy decided to join in...

"He he the poor old hermit overdosed. Oopsy daisy."

"Ma'am I want a cigarette and some water please. Ma'am?"

"No one cares and that's not a problem I took them last night woke up this morning and I'll take 'em again tonight..."

Finally after thirty minutes the nurse comes back and informs me that there is no head or neck trauma and I am free to go once the papers are signed. Hallelujiah I don't think I could spend the night here. I quickly change back out from the hospital robes and take to the task of completing the forms.

When I finally exit the doors of the hospital I stop for a minute and think of all the thinks that happened to me that day and to think it all started with a concussion.

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Based on the story of my third concussion